The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-04
SwINGLETON'S FOURTH.
jobs Habberton. in st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Hurrahl for the mornin of mornin's is come;


morning, in low but earnest tones, by small,
thin-faced, rather ragged boy in the Office of the
Cliff Edge Improvement Company, finally
forced themselves upon the attention of John
ywineleton, whs was president, managing
director and almost everything else in the COM
pany For anything but his own personal in
terests to obtrude upon the attention of John
Swingleton was unusual. and very annoying be-
tide. so the great man finally exclaimed
Dennis If you must talk to yourself wish
you would do it in whispers. I can't have my
mind distracted by such COMPOUNDED racket >
II beg your pardon, sir" the small boy re-
piled. 'I didn't to disturb you. but I've
got to get that whole song by heart before the
Fourth, cause I'm to be one of the crowd of
singers"
'Sineers Fourth What singers? what
Fourth?" asked Swingleton dropping pencil
with which he had been figuring. and bringing
large-sized frown to bear at short range upon
the boy. The little fellow met his employers
gaze with look of astonishment and answered:
"Why, the Fourth OF July. of course There
amt any other fourth that / ever heard OF, Mr.
Swingleton. An the singers is lot of boys an
gals that's goin' to sing the songs on the village
green when the flag gifts histed at sunrise
The Cliff Edge Compauys head had no time 20
spare, for he had intended that very day to en-
large the companys bounds by grasptng the as
closing mortgage of an early and too self con-
6dent purchaser Of villa site. Nevertheless he
was. after being startled. somewhat amused ov
the boys earnestness. so he said
Fourth of July7 Umph! 1t seems to me l
once heard of such day, but its escaped my
mind. What Is it, anyhow, and why should it
bring a lot Of young ones to the green at sun
rise, when they ought to be asleeDP
The boy looked in anazement at MS employer.
but Swineleton's face had not been in training
for thirty years for nothing and as not line of
- nbo rv.14 J,a1 fall aaid
"Why. its the day of the Declaration; moren
a hundred years ago lot of felers got together
down to Phadelphy an made up their minds
they wouldn't knuckle under to the Britishers
any longer so they said it in wrltin' an put their
names to it,"
''ls that sol" asked Swlnglston, still maintain
ing questioning countenance.
eyes, STRIP said the boy, with SO much en-
phasls that the hearer smiled in spite of himself.
l'You needn't b'lieve me il you don't want to
I'll run home an fetch you my school history an
you read for yourself"
mo" said the head Of the company, "Tll take
your word for it. But what good did it dot II
remember rightly. that declaration made great
deal of trouble. There was fighting for five or
six years, and the national finances disar-
ranged; the greenbacks of the day became worse
and worse. until you could buy a hatful for a
silver dollar. / don't suppose in all that time
man could get clear title if he bought piece
of real estate
The boys eyes opened wider and wider; his
employer was taking him entirely beyond his
mental depth. He soon recovered himself,
though. and said:
II don't know nothin' about all them things.
All knows is that our teacher explained to
last year, when hadn't left school yet. that
twas the declaration that made this country
such mighty good place to live in. He said if
It hadn't been for that we'd been all bossed by
the Britishers to this day, an nobody would
have got along as well as they do now. an all
our rich folks that's maxim such piles of money
on town lots, an villa plots. an water power, an
such like, would have been Just alvin from
hand to mouth. an diggin' taters for Twin,
like my old daddy did fore he come from Ire
land"
"H-mw muttered Swingleton 'I wonder if
he didn't mean something personal?"
II don't know what that is. SIR said the boy;
'but from the way he piuted with that long first
finger of his kinder guessed he meant you-for
Dne. any way"
Swingleton abruptly picked up his pencil and
resumed his figuring; Dernis thus relieved from
sprawled on a bench which part of the of
fee furniture rubbed his orange tinted head to
Stimulate his memory, and resumed:
Hurrah! for the mornin' of mornn's is come:
''What Internal uonsense" exclaimed Swingle-
ton. 'As if there was any such thing as ban
ner in the United States, outside Of Sunday
school room"
"Beg your pardon, SIR" said the boy after
springine to his feet in surprise, ''but there's
lots of 'em. You'll see EN- il you come to the
green on the Fourth. I'm goin' to carry one my
self in the procession; It SEE on 1t Gods Own
Country Dad made that up all by hisself and
painted it on the banner that mother made out
Of part of a sheet An me :, sister
a chance Dad made that up, too. An little
Nils Prison him that's got the onelegged shoe
maker Dane for father. has get one marked
Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty | don't
know what that means. but you just ort to see
the one-legged shoemaker's eyes shine when
he looks at it-youd think he achin' to
knock somebody down an pound MIN with a
hammer"
what Internal Anarchist got that up. won
derl" erowled Swingleton.
1.-THE shoemaker made the banner hisself,
sir" the boy replied but what's it was
writ by George Washin'ton, the father of his
country"
"Boshl" exclaimed SwineIeton, washington
was a large owner of real estate"
II beg your pardon, sir. but L can show it to
you; it's in the Farewell Address, in the back OF
our hist'ry book"
Hang your history book and the banners too"
Trowled Swingleton addressing himself seriously
TO business. you go over to Truegates right
away and tell him that if he don't pay his inter
Est and that overdue installment on the princi-
pal this very morning iii foreclose him.
And when you come back you sit outside the
door if you've got to rattle that gibberish
about the morning Of mornings and 'unfurl
Svery banner"
eyes, SIR" said the boy, timidly, and hurried
lway on his errand. Swiugleton applied him.
Ielf vigorously TO his cipheriug. but somehow
the figures did not come right, and he abruptly
tore his paper to bits and began to pace the Office
Hoor, mutterIug to himself.
"Confound these foreigners, One would sup
pose the country was made expressly for them
BY the way they take hold of it. The idea of
little rascal like Dennis telling me what George
Washington wrote-and worse yet. he was right
about It. really do believe. Gods own coun-
try'-'Weve all got a chance'-thats more of
their nonsense. Come to think of it, though, it's
all true l wonder if somebody won't have
banner with One mans good another on
.tP Suppose he does, what anybody say
against it2 It's true gospel; if it wasn't I'd be
n Door farmer to this day, instead of the head of
big real estate Improvement company
For several minutes Swingleton held his peace.
but continued to pace the floor. Then he burst
into speech again.
"All those common folks are going to have a
regular jubilee the Fourth, L suppose. 1t
isn't bad enough that business mans peace of
mind is to be disturbed all day long by fire.
crackers and pistols and all sorts of internal
popping noises, but they're to have singing, and
cheering, and like enough a brass band at sun
rse-on the green-right in front of my house.
l was going to spend the Fourth in finding out
how much money I'm ahead by this Cliff Edge